Lady Ellingham and the Theft of the Stansfield Necklace: A Regency Romance (14 page)

Richard did not have to
wait long for the doctor.  He suffered the pain with equanimity as the doctor
probed and examined his ankle.  He finally stood up and gave him his verdict. 
Richard had not broken it but the sprain was as bad as it could be. He must
keep it up as much as possible and take laudanum for the pain, meanwhile he
would strap it up and make him comfortable.  The doctor gave him a reassuring
pat on the shoulder and remarked that overall, he was a healthy young man and
he saw no reason why he should not fully recover within two or three weeks.

‘Two or three weeks!’
Richard gasped. He slumped down on the chaise long in complete frustration. 
Two or three weeks were an eternity.

Alex and Richard were
the first down to breakfast the following morning. Although the doctor had
confirmed that Richard had just sprained his ankle, it never the less was as equally
painful as if he had broken it.  Alex had suggested that Richard should stay in
bed and keep his foot up, but he insisted on getting dressed and coming
downstairs. With a little support from Alex, he made his way to the dining room
hobbling in on one foot and leaning on his friends shoulder. ‘We shall have to
acquire a stick for you,’ Alex pronounced as he escorted him to a chair. ‘I am
sure we will have something suitable somewhere.’

  The Duke had left the
house early as his gamekeeper had called him out.  He had reported that he was
having a problem with a poacher and yet had no success in apprehending the
fellow, if indeed there was only one. The poacher had proved annoyingly
elusive.  He wanted the Duke to inspect the traps he had found and approve a
course of action.  The Dowager for her part had elected to have her breakfast
in bed as usual.

Richard was reading the
paper and Alex was reading his mail when Felicity and her mother arrived for
breakfast.  The two gentlemen looked up as the ladies entered the room and sat
down. The Countess addressed her son. ‘How are you this morning Richard, I
would have thought you would have the sense to stay in bed. You know you should
really keep that foot up.’

Richard grimaced. ‘I
will mother but I do not desire to spend my whole day in bed.  I will rest in
the drawing room in company.  Alex has arranged for my comfort and arranged for
a footstool so I can keep my foot up.’ The Countess gave Alex an appreciative
nod and smiled.

‘Anyway look,’ Richard
said holding up the newspaper, in an effort to change the subject, ‘the Barber
of Seville is playing at the Georgian Theatre in Harrogate.’

‘Oh really,’ Felicity
exclaimed excitedly stretching across the table and almost ripping the paper
out of Richard’s hands to see for herself.  ‘Is it the opera by Rossini?  It
just came out at the beginning of the year in Rome and I have heard it has had excellent
reviews.’

Richard snatched the
paper out of her reach to finish reading it. ‘No,’ he replied, ‘It is just
Pierre Beaumarchais’s’ French comedy.  You are in Harrogate and it is out of
season Felicity, you are hardly going to get a big production here at this time
of year.’

Felicity looked
disappointed but strained her head trying to see the paper. ‘For goodness sake
let me see Richard,’ she said trying to snatch the paper again. Richard gave in
and handed her the broad sheet and she read the review. ‘It should still be
good,’ she said.  She looked at Richard eagerly. ‘Shall we go; it will be a
lovely evening out?’

Richard looked
apologetic, ‘I am unable to escort you Flick. Even if my injured foot managed
the carriage ride, I doubt I would be able to sit and enjoy the production in
any modicum of comfort.’

‘It is a shame
Felicity,’ sighed the Countess, ‘but Richard cannot be gallivanting about with
an injured foot.’

Felicity looked
crestfallen causing Alex to laugh at her. He put down the letter he was
reading. ‘On the other hand,’ he said, I cannot see why I cannot escort you.  Booking
a seat is not a problem, my father has a box at the Georgian Theatre and if
everyone is agreeable we can make up a party and go tonight.’  Felicity
brightened up and looked at Richard. ‘Would you mind if we left you alone for
one evening? It seems rather unfair but I would really like to go.’

‘Not at all,’ Richard,
replied, ‘I can survive on my own for one night and I am sure you will be in
good hands. I have my Valet and a handful of servants to assist me after all.’

‘It is settled then,’
Alex smiled, ‘I shall make the arrangements.’

At 7pm precisely, John
the coachman brought around the Dukes carriage to pick up the party to take
them to the theatre. With the exception of Richard who they had left in bed with
a good book, they had all decided to attend. Even the Dowager was persuaded to
go.

The Duke’s box was
comfortable and spacious and situated to the left with a good view of the
stage. The Duke sat next to the Countess and his mother, and Alex sat next to
Felicity where he could see her face. It was not long before the curtain went
up and the performance was underway. Felicity sat entranced as she absorbed
every detail of the play.  Alex was happily content that he had it in his power
to please her and just relaxed in the pleasure of watching her enjoying
herself.  It was all too soon before the curtain went down on the final part of
Act 2. Felicity turned to Alex with eager enthusiasm, ‘Oh how wicked, Bartholo
cannot possibly force the poor Rosina to marry him, Oh what will Count Almaviva
do?’

Alex smiled, ‘We shall
have to wait until Act Three, but meanwhile I think we should all have some
refreshments.’

The Dowager who had
seen the play many times before, poked her grandson with her walking stick and
pronounced,  ‘Never mind about Rosina and the Count, I was wondering when you
were going to get around to obtaining drinks, I am parched.’

The Duke and Alex stood
up and left the box to procure some refreshments for the party and Felicity had
time to survey her surroundings and soak up the atmosphere of the evening. Many
of the crowd remained in their seats just chatting and discussing the
performance but some ventured out into the corridors looking for refreshments.   She
glanced around the theatre and it was then that she saw them.  She could hardly
believe her eyes, for in a box on the opposite side and toward the back of the
auditorium sat a couple who strongly resembled Emily and Adrian Entwhistle. 

  An attentive middle-aged
man with brown wavy hair and a personable face sat next to Emily and Felicity
could only assume that he was her latest victim.  Felicity raised her glasses
to the box to reassure herself that she was not mistaken, but it only confirmed
her suspicions.  Adrian must be pretending to be her Uncle again for the middle-aged
man was paying Emily a lot of attention and he looked so obviously besotted. He
did not appear to Felicity to be a member of the ton but he was obviously a man
of means. His dress was elegant but not of the first stare and his posture was
dignified.  He was possibly a gentleman who had made his money in trade, or
perhaps a solicitor or a banker.  Whomever he was, Felicity knew that she could
not allow this gentleman to continue to be so taken in. She knew that she had
to do something to help him.  She looked back at the door, she knew that she
should wait for Alex and the Duke to return but they had been away a while and
there was still no sign of them.  She turned to her mother and the Dowager and
excused herself. ‘Excuse me mama but I have just spotted someone I know and
wish to go and speak to them.’ The Countess turned to her in surprise, ‘Here in
Harrogate, who is that my dear?’ she asked straining to look around her.

Felicity pointed to the
opposite box, ‘it is Emily mother, I will just go over to say hello.’  The
Countess looked doubtful.  She knew nothing of the dramatic details pertaining
to Emily’s departure but she knew that she had disappeared from London in a
cloud of uncertainty and the Countess was not quite happy. ‘Well I am surprised
to see her here but do you think you should dear? I do not quite think that
Richard would be pleased.’  Felicity bent down to kiss her mother on the
cheek.  ‘I have something I need to say to her, I will just be five minutes, do
not worry mama.’ She slipped out of the box and was gone before her mother
could object any more.

The Countess turned to
the Dowager. ‘Oh dear,’ she sighed, ‘It is not quite proper that Flick should
wander off on her own and I do hope she does not do or say anything she should
not.’  The Dowager just gave her a reassuring pat on the arm. ‘She cannot get
into too much mischief here in the theatre Sophia, just relax and enjoy the
evening.’  The Countess just gave a weak smile, she could not be easy, for
knowing Felicity more than anyone else, she could never be sure. The Countess
looked over and it seemed ages before Felicity appeared in the box.  The two
gentlemen had left, and when Felicity arrived only Emily was sitting there.  Emily
turned around when Felicity came in expecting to see her company.  ‘You have
been quick...’ She stopped mid sentence when she realised it was not Adrian but
Felicity who was standing there.  Felicity stood with her back to the door and
stared directly at Emily, who sat there with her mouth open.

Felicity spoke. ‘How
could you Mrs Entwhistle. I befriended you.  I believed in you when no one else
would and you repaid me with lies and deceit.  That necklace did not belong to
your grandmother but you stole it and pretended it was yours.  Why did you do
it Emily?’

Emily’s face was
intractable. ‘Why not,’ she responded, ‘Lord Alex Sheraton made me look a
fool.  Even if I could get back at him a little by branding him a liar, I would
be satisfied. I was relying on you to spread the rumours and blacken his name but
you disappointed me Flick.’

 Felicity was angry. ‘Do
not presume to address me by my pet name,’ she replied, ‘I am Lady Ellingham to
you.  I defended you, my brother came to my aid and risked his life in a duel,
and it was all because of your lies.  For goodness sake, you even asked me to
request his help when you came to me that day. You have no principals and I
cannot forgive you for that.’

Emily put her nose up
in the air and sniffed, ‘Well I am sure I did not ask him to do that.’

‘Is that all you have
to say Emily, have you no thoughts for anyone but yourself. Tell me is that
gentleman you have with you your next victim.  What have you managed to acquire
from him.  I see you have a beautiful ring on your finger that you did not
possess the last time I saw you.  How much will you sell that for when you are
done with him? I am telling you now Emily, you are not going to get away with
it because I am not going to let you. Before this evening is out that gentleman
will know exactly what you are.’

The Countess was still
observing from the Stansfield box and although she could not hear what was
being said, she noticed the tension.  ‘Oh my goodness,’ she groaned, ‘whatever
is Felicity saying.’  She kept her glasses on the box and became anxious when a
familiar looking man arrived back.

The man gave a start
when he saw Felicity but quickly recovered and gave her a sickly smile. ‘Good
evening Lady Ellingham, well this is a surprise. I wish I could say I was pleased
to see you but that would not be quite true.’ He looked across at Emily who
hissed at him. ‘Do something! See to her! She threatens to spoil everything and
we are so nearly done here. Andrew has just gone to the water closet and he
will be back soon.’

Adrian looked across a Felicity;
‘Is that so?’ he smiled, ‘we cannot allow that to happen. What are we to do
with you?’

Felicity was slightly
alarmed at his manner for he was behaving out of character. Adrian was not as
she remembered and was far from the bespectacled fop he had appeared to be when
he was in London.  He was much more in control of himself.  She straightened
and then headed for the door. ‘Well there is not much you can do in the middle
of a crowded theatre,’ she retorted, ‘so you may as well resign yourself to the
fact that your game is up.’

Adrian made for the
door, blocked it and before she knew it, he had moved like a cat, manoeuvring
himself behind her and clamping a deceptively strong arm across her neck and
throat and the other over her mouth. ‘No so fast Lady Ellingham. I am not
undone yet.’  He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a brown phial of
liquid.  Before she knew it, he was forcing the contents of the phial down into
her throat and then squeezing the air out of her lungs.  She only struggled
briefly as the bitter taste of Laudanum trickled down her throat and the air
escaped her lungs and before she knew it, she was overcome and fell back
unconscious into his arms. There was hardly a scuffle and everything seemed to
happen in the fraction of a second.  ‘Quick get her out of here,’ Emily
panicked, ‘Andrew will be back any minute.’ Adrian swept Felicity up in his
arms and walked toward the door. He looked back, ‘Finish up here Emily, make my
excuses to Andrew. Tell him anything you want but make sure you confirm the
final arrangements for tomorrow. I will meet you back at the cottage as soon as
the play is over.  Remember we just have to get by until tomorrow morning and
we can get away from here.’

Adrian carried an
unconscious Felicity through the now thinning crowds who were still chatting gaily
in the corridors. Most people by now were making their way back into the auditorium
for the beginning of Act three. ‘Excuse me, can you make way,’ he called out.  ‘My
wife has fainted and I need to take her out into the fresh air.’ The crowds
politely moved out of his way with one or two asking if he needed any help.
‘No,’ he replied, ‘she will be just fine when I get her outside into the fresh
air.  I have my man waiting with the carriage.’ 

Adrian bundled her into
a waiting carriage with a similar excuse to the Jarvey and flopped back into
the swabs with relief.  It had been easy, all he needed now was for Emily to do
her bit and they would be home and dry. Once in the carriage Felicity began to
wake up.  She felt dizzy but the faint recollection was coming back to her. 
She opened her eyes to find herself in a moving carriage with Adrian
Entwhistle.  He looked inconvenienced to say the least and was none too amused.
 He sat back in the carriage with folded arms, ‘I must say Lady Ellingham, you
have caused me a great deal of bother, but if you behave yourself until
tomorrow afternoon I will let you go and you will not get hurt.  Unfortunately
until then you will have to remain my guest.’